The final revised standards for the training and education of pharmacist independent prescribers will be published in the new year, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has said.

Pharmacy’s regulator made three key changes to the standards following a consultation, including removing the need for the formal mentoring of designated prescribing practitioners (DPPs) since they “are required to be suitably experienced before taking on the role.”

A detailed evidence framework will also be published with the standards, the GPhC stressing that DPPs should “not diminish the importance of input from other prescribing professionals and that supervision models may well be multi-professional.”

The GPhC said it is working with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to produce a supplement to the competency framework for prescribers and guidance for DPPs. The GPhC said funding has been secured for the supplement, with work expected to start on it next year. The regulator said it would take a year to complete.

“An evidence framework is being developed to accompany these standards and we will test it with course providers in early 2019, before finalising it and issuing it to all course providers,” the GPhC said.

“We will begin to accredit courses based on the new standards in 2019.”

(Pictured: sturti - iStock)